Control housing for work vehicle

Abstract

An agricultural tractor or other work vehicle having an operator's station is described. A steering column assembly is mounted in the operator's station and has a steering shaft disposed in a steering shaft barrel. The steering column assembly is adapted to both tilt and telescope. A left hand forward-neutral-reverse lever is mounted in a housing. A key is mounted on the steering shaft barrel and a first housing half is journaled on the steering shaft by way of a bushing. The first housing half has a plurality of lever support bolsters and a plurality of fastener bosses. A second housing half is disposed on the steering shaft barrel and has a plurality of lever support bolsters, a keyway and a plurality of fastener bosses. One of the first or second housing halves has a groove around a peripheral edge thereof, the other of the first or second housing halves has a tongue around a peripheral edge thereof. Similarly, one of the first or second housing halves has a circular lip at an end of each fastener boss. The keyway of the second housing half engages the key mounted on the steering barrel so that the housing cannot rotate with respect thereto and the tongue of one housing half matingly engages the groove of the other housing half, while the circular lips of the fastener bosses of one housing half engage the fastener bosses of the other housing half. The left hand forward-neutral-reverse lever is sandwiched between the upper and lower housings and is supported therein by the lever support bolsters of both housing halves so that loads are transmitted from the left hand forward-neutral-reverse lever to the housing assembly and in turn to the steering column assembly. The control housing assembly is able to move with the steering shaft and steering wheel as the steering shaft and steering wheel are telescoped and tilted, but cannot rotate.